Dahomey Amazons
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The Dahomey Amazons were a Fon all-female military regiment of the Kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin) which lasted until end of the 19th century. They were so named by Western observers and historians due to their similarity to the semi-mythical Amazons of Ancient Greece.
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[edit] History
King Houegbadja (who ruled from 1645 to 1685), the third King of Dahomey, is said to have originally started the group which would become the Amazons as a corps of royal bodyguards after building a new palace at Abomey. Houegbadja's son King Agadja (ruling from 1708 to 1732) developed these bodyguards into a militia and successfully used them in Dahomey's defeat of the neighbouring kingdom of Savi in 1727. European merchants recorded their presence, as well as similar female warriors amongst the Ashanti. For the next hundred years or so, they gained reputation as fearless warriors. Though they fought rarely, they usually acquitted themselves well in battle.
From the time of King Ghezo (ruling from 1818 to 1858), Dahomey became increasingly militaristic. Ghezo placed great importance on the army and increased its budget and formalized its structures. The Amazons were rigorously trained, given uniforms, and equipped with Danish guns (obtained via the slave trade). By this time the Amazons consisted of between 4000 and 6000 women, about a third of the entire Dahomey army.
European encroachment into west Africa gained pace during the latter half of the 19th century, and in 1890 the Dahomey King Behanzin started fighting French forces (mainly made up of Yoruba, who the Dahomeans had been fighting for centuries). According to Holmes, many of the French soldiers fighting in Dahomey hesitated before shooting or bayoneting the Amazons. The resulting delay led to many of the French casualties. Ultimately, bolstered by the Foreign Legion, and armed with superior weaponry, including machine guns, the French inflicted casualties that were ten times worse on the Dahomey side. After several battles, the French prevailed. The Legionaires later wrote about the "incredible courage and audacity" of the Amazons.
The last surviving Amazon died in 1979.
[edit] Customs
Members could enroll voluntarily, or were involuntarily enrolled if their husbands complained to the King about their behaviour. Membership of the Amazons was supposed to hone any aggressive character traits for the purpose of war. During their membership they were not allowed to have children or be part of married life. Many of the Amazons were virgins. The regiment had a semi-sacred status, which was intertwined with the Fon belief in Vodun.
The Amazons were trained in a way reminiscent of Sparta, toughening themselves up with intense physical exercise and overcoming pain. Discipline was emphasised. In the latter period, the Amazons were armed with Winchester rifles, clubs and knives. Units were under female command. Captives were often decapitated.
[edit] Popular culture
Dahomey Amazons were represented in the 1987 film Cobra Verde by German director Werner Herzog. Although the location was intended to be Ouidah, the film was actually shot in Ghana. Ghezo's Amazons play a significant role in the novel Flash for Freedom by George MacDonald Fraser.
[edit] References
- Amazons of Black Sparta: The Women Warriors of Dahomey Stanley B. Alpern, New York University Press, 1999 ISBN 0-8147-0678-9
- Women Warlords: An Illustrated Military History of Female Warriors Tim Newark and Angus McBride, Blandford Press
- Acts of War: the behavior of men in battle Holmes R. New York, Free Press, 1985. Quoted in:
- On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning To Kill in War and Society Grossman D. New York, Back Bay Books / Little, Brown and Company, 1995 ISBN 0-316-33011-6 pp. 175
